The Way To a Person’s Heart…Is Their Gut?

Growing up, you might have heard this phrase a couple times:”The way into someone’s heart is through their stomach.” Your old school parents or grandparents might have said this to remind you of the pressures of singledom…(sigh).

Turns out there is a connection between your heart and your gut. Just like the brain-gut connection, your microbiome (the communities of living bacteria that exist in your gut) can have a tremendous effect on your cardiovascular health. In fact, a study found that people with high blood pressure often have a lower bacterial gut diversity.

Your gut can affect three main parts of cardiovascular health:

Blood Pressure

Blood vessels

Microbes and Probiotics

Blood Pressure

As mentioned before, high blood pressure is often associated with a less balanced gut, since a balanced gut will break down carbohydrates. In this process, beneficial bacteria releases helpful peptides that reduce blood pressure. So, if you’re gut is lacking in that department, your blood pressure might be higher. A healthy gut will also have bacteria that increases absorption of important nutrients that regulate blood pressure.

Blood Vessels

Your gut can also affect your blood vessels. Gut inflammation can damage your blood vessels and even increase the risk of plaque and heart disease. Some studies even suggest that unbalanced production of some gut hormones can damage blood vessels, if you have diabetes.

Microbes and Probiotics

Microbes and probiotics also play important roles in the gut microbiome and therefore, cardiovascular health. The microbes that are created in your gut can end up in your bloodstream, thereby affecting your heart. And certain microbes can make you more sensitive to risk factors. For example, your body can be more at risk of producing high LDL cholesterol levels or an obesity-related molecule called leptin, both of which can negatively affect the heart. On the other hand, good microbes can help regulate a healthy heart by aiding production of beneficial molecules. Probiotics work in the same way. Probiotics can help your gut hold onto beneficial bacteria and also eliminate the harmful bacteria.

A Total Heart Health Pack

In order to take care of your heart, you’ll need to take care of your whole body, including your gut. That’s why we created the Heart Health Pack.